The Four Brothers
by Ezra Quinn
Summary: A brief examination/characterization of the four main archangels growing up together in Heaven; Michael as an adult, Raphael and Lucifer as adolescents, and Gabriel as a child. God is mentioned but is not physically present.


It was crowded and lonely at the top for the four archangels. Their Almighty Father was frequently absent and they were segragated from the rest of the angels, but there were still four of them all holding the same rank. Michael, Raphael, Lucifer, and Gabriel: all potential heirs to the Kingdoms of Heaven and Earth. For such a great amount of power, there was very little known about which of the four brothers was to succeed their Father's reign.

Their Father would not answer his inquiries on the subject directly, and Michael imagined it was because He did not want Michael to abuse his future power or provoke jealousy from his brothers. Though their Almighty Father was avoidant whenever Michael would ask about the inheritance, His response was consistently and dangerously ambiguous: He would make reference to events that had yet to transpire, and that the outcome of those events would give rise to revelations regarding the heir to His Kingdom. This response worried Michael, because the last time their Father said those words, He had cast a dark look in then-infant Lucifer's direction.

Ominous and vague prophecies aside, Michael was the eldest, and so he reasoned that he was the heir. He mentioned none of this reasoning aloud, however, and when his brothers would discuss it, he would feign uncertainty and indifference. No matter who was ultimately revealed to be the heir, Michael would follow their Father's orders, because he loved their Father, and to love was to be obedient. When their Father's absences became more frequent following Lucifer's birth, Michael taught this principle to his younger brother to ensure that their Father's absence would not weaken the loyalty and obedience of His sons.

Raphael was the most headstrong of the four, precariously balancing himself on the line between rigid objectivity and cruel indifference. He acted as though he knew for a fact that he was to inherit the Kingdom, and frequently gave orders to the lower angels as if he were practicing for his future reign, or preparing the others for what he imagined was to come in the near future. He saw the position as an opportunity to exercise power and control over others, which he considered to be his most prized skill and the reason for his certainty in securing the inheritance. As Raphael grew nearer to full maturity, it became more difficult for Michael to control him, and he often did as he pleased regardless of Michael's wishes.

Lucifer was much gentler than both Michael and Raphael. Michael was firm and Raphael was ruthless, but Lucifer was soft; much like the glow that surrounded his being, for which he had been named. His mind, in contrast to his demeanor, was very sharp. Despite being second-youngest and not yet fully matured as Michael was and Raphael very nearly was, Lucifer was the most intelligent of the four brothers. He was very proud of his intelligence, but was most proud of his loyalty. With Raphael's increasing rebelliousness, Michael was too busy with him to pay much mind to teaching young Gabriel the ways of the angels. Lucifer took on the role himself, and attempted to teach his loyalty and intelligence to the youngest archangel. Lucifer had no desire to rule over Heaven or Earth, though he would not say so aloud. He was determined to be eternally obedient to their Almighty Father, just as Michael had taught him to be, and as he taught Gabriel also.

Gabriel took very well to learning quick-wittedness from Lucifer, but he did not take well to obedience, and was rambunctious like Raphael. Everything Gabriel did appeared to be effortless, though he was actually trying with all his might to be impressive to their Father. Following Gabriel's birth, their Father was absent almost always, and in fact, the youngest of the four had only seen the Almighty Entity twice in his life.

Regarding the inheritance that seemed more and more imminent with each passing millenia, Gabriel was not particularly interested in Heaven; he was much more intrigued by Earth and the life their Father had spread across its surface. The other three brothers attributed this fascination to Gabriel's youth, as they were indifferent to the Earth and its petty inhabitants. There were rumors regarding the creation of a new species, which may explain their Almighty Father's absence, but no angel knew for certain. These rumors excited the younger archangels but frightened the eldest; both Michael and Raphael knew from experience that newcomers threatened their position relative to their Father—just as the birth of Lucifer and Gabriel had—and were consequently hesitant to welcome the idea of a new species.

Despite the differences amongst the four brothers, they were all in agreement that contact with their Almighty Father was long overdue, and they were quietly growing anxious in anticipation of what information he would have for them next.


End file.
